Shadow or Light? Continuation
by SeaSpectre160
Summary: A continuation of 'adamizgr8's story 'Shadow or Light'. Read the original first. Di-Gata Defenders.
1. A Rough Time

**And presenting...**

**The long-awaited ending of a story that hasn't been updated in over a year...**

**Shadow or Light? Continuation! **

**So, I guess I should mention that I should've been clearer with the quiz question at the end of my last story. I meant GENERAL. Well, that IS what I put. My only two answers were both Zhao. Let's remind people that Zhao has past been a captain, where we first saw him, he'd been promoted to Commander, and then partway through the first book, he was promoted to Admiral. Iroh was a general, and he helped Yue sacrifice herself (okay, so he held the dead fish while she did it). Of course, I can see how you would get confused, since Zhao did kill Tui in the first place. **

**Okay, here is the blurb for this week's song - guess it, please! **

**_"Hunting you, I can smell you - alive, your heart pounding in my head"_**

* * *

Chapter 1: A Rough Time

Adam stirred in his sleep as Shantra sat by his bed, still convinced he was only playing. "Adam?" Pinch, poke, ear twist. "Are you awake?" Sigh. "This is getting a little boring. Can't we play something else?" No answer. _'Wait, what if he really __**is**__ sick? He doesn't look so well.'_ Adam moaned softly, and Shantra felt that only proved something was wrong. _'Maybe I should see if his friends have figured out what's going on with him.'_

She rushed downstairs, where Erik was still screaming and shooting all over the place like crazy. Shantra really couldn't see the point of this game. _'Sure, it looks like fun at first, but isn't he getting a little bored by now?'_ Erik was acting weird; when she decided to stick her arm through his leg, he didn't even seem to notice. Not even a shiver! _'What's going on? This is weird. It was like he didn't even feel it. Wait a minute; I remember something like this happening before. The same thing happened to Adam when he was little.'_

Six-year-old Adam had suddenly started having hallucinations when that Wizard, Nazmul, had gotten mad at his 'father'. Shantra, fearing for his life, had used a sort of amulet made from a rock she'd blown on, enchanting it. She managed to get him to touch it by putting it in his hand. The amulet had healed him of the curse and given him the ability to see and hear her kind.

'_Maybe I can do the same for Erik!'_ Shantra thought excitedly. She ran outside, looking for some big pebbles, and saw Rion, kneeling by the edge of the forest, sobbing. _'Oh, no. It's gotten to him, too.'_ Seth's, Mel's and Kara's shouts could also be heard. _'I'd better act fast. They could really get hurt.'_

Quickly, Shantra found five good-sized stones, inhaled, and blew on them. The rocks glowed a nice pale blue and pulsated subtly. These should do the trick.

Holding the stones, Shantra hurried over to Rion and carefully placed one in his limp hand. Rion gasped and looked around in a panic. His eyes rested on Shantra and he asked her shakily: "What's going on? Who... who are you?"

Shantra just gave him a big, sweet smile and handed him tree of the other rocks. "Find Seth and the girls and give them these. Come back to the house after, and I'll explain everything." Rion only stared blankly at her. "Go!" Shantra ran back to the house; glancing over her shoulder, she saw him run off in search of his friends. _'At least he knows how to follow simple directions.'_

Erik proved to be significantly more difficult to heal. Adam and Rion had been more or less stationary when she'd given them the stones, but Erik wouldn't quit running around and shooting and screaming. Shantra tried several times, but failed, finally throwing it right in his face out of frustration. It worked the instant it touched his face. Erik froze, his gauntlet pointed right between Shantra's eyes. He looked around quickly, to check for whatever had been terrorizing him, then gave Shantra a questioning stare. "Um... Who are you?" he asked.

Shantra smiled at him. "I'm an old friend of Adam's. My name's Shantra."

Erik struggled to regain his composure. He probably didn't want to look like a complete idiot in front of a little girl like her, although it was a bit late for that. "**You** know Adam?"

"Mm-hm. He says I was the first friend he's ever had. After he ran away years ago, I got very lonely, but I was so happy when we met again a couple nights ago." She giggled. Even in desperate situations like this, she just couldn't shake her playful mood. Must be a side-effect of being forever eight years old.

"I told you guys, I have no idea who she is." Rion and the others came in, all looking rather nervous and confused. Seth, Mel, and Kara all stared Shantra as they sat down. "She just gave me these glowing rocks and told me what to do with them."

"I'm Shantra. Years ago, nasty Wizard called Nazmul got really angry with that guy who used to pretend to be Adam's father." Rion started to say something, but Seth stopped him, shaking his head with a look that said they'd talk about that later. "And he punished him by putting this spell on Adam that made him see things, scary things that weren't really there. My big sister Karmi asked me to watch over him when that happened. So I took a rock from outside and blew on it. My sisters and I all have some kinda magic powers, so when I made Adam touch the rock, the scary things stopped, and he could see and hear me, even though nobody else could. Karmi was so mad at me when she found out. She still hasn't actually met Adam herself, but Neecona's okay with it." Her face darkened as she remembered Neecona's message. "Last week, she got this bad feeling he was in danger, and I went to find him."

"Danger?" Mel asked, her face a picture of fear and worry, "What kind of danger?"

Shantra glanced at each of the other Defenders. Rion looked grim, Erik confused, Kara concerned, and Seth – well, surprisingly, Seth wasn't all that surprised. _'Of course,'_ Shantra mused, _'he __**was**__ hiding in the bushes when I told Adam. He couldn't really hear me, but he might've figured it out from what Adam was saying. Should I tell them the whole truth? I didn't tell Adam, but...'_"I don't know," she lied, "That was all she told me."

Mel stood and turned towards the stairs. "If Adam's in danger, then we should be keeping an eye on him." She ran up, and the others could hear Adam's door opening and closing a couple seconds later.

"So, if these visions are caused by a spell," Erik mused out loud, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "then that would explain why this place is deserted. The villagers must've gotten a Wizard angry somehow and went insane."

"Then it's too dangerous for us to stay here," Seth announced, "Gather up your things, guys. We're leaving." Rion, Kara, and Erik all nodded seriously. The Defenders got up and hurried to their rooms, leaving Shantra alone in the kitchen. She pouted for a while, upset at being ditched like that, then ran up to Adam's room, where Mel sat worriedly at his bedside.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Mel asked as the little girl stopped beside her. She reached out and stroked his sweaty, yet freezing cold face. Adam winced at her touch. "I've never seen anything like this before. Out of the blue, he starts having nightmares and getting sick. I don't know when it's all going to stop."

"Wait, nightmares? When did **that** start happening?"

"About six nights ago, I think. He keeps having the same one over and over again, and it's really scaring him. Seth thinks he's even starting to have them while he's awake, too. Last night, Seth and Erik were lost, you know, and Adam went looking for them. From what I heard, they found him, running through the woods, half scared out of his mind. They said he tried to cover it up, but then he suddenly collapsed. Then they took him back here."

Shantra felt a pang of worry for her friend. She had no idea he'd been going through so much in the past week. _'Well, Karmi always said I had to pay better attention to things. I guess she was right.'_ "Maybe the nightmares are another warning of the danger."

"Maybe. Do you think one of you sisters could be sending them? You said Karmi didn't really like him."

Shantra bristled. "No. Don't even say that. Karmi and Neecona would **never** do anything like that! Those dreams are obviously hurting him, and that's the last thing we want. We're trying to **protect** him. Besides, I don't think we **can** send people dreams anyway."

* * *

Within ten minutes, the Defenders were pretty much ready to go. Erik carried Adam over to Mel's stormer and set him down on the backseat. Shantra sat impatiently on the back of Erik's bike. They took the path that Mel, Kara, Adam, and Rion had used the day before. All was going well enough, which, considering their recent luck, was pretty unusual.

"So... where do we go now?" Rion asked.

"The Nexus, "Seth announced, "Whatever's happening to Adam should be our main concern. We can't do anything until he gets better." Everyone – except for Adam, of course – nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a short, furry, and familiar figure jumped out of the bushes ahead of them. The stormers screeched to a halt. "Zad?" Erik cried, "What does he want?"

"Does it really matter?" Rion pointed out, "The disaster at the Drevac Stronghold was all because of him, remember?"

"And I don't know about you guys, but I'm in the mood for some payback," Kara added. The others, obviously feeling the same way, pulled out their stones, ready for a fight. A noise behind them caught Seth's attention. He turned and saw some more creatures, identical to Zad, all armed with whips, and looking rather belligerent.

"Uh, guys?" he said, "He's not alone." Gasps came up from the others as they noticed the small army. The first Zad took opportunity of the distraction and slashed his whip across the front of Mel's stormer, sending it sparking and spinning across the road. Mel screamed as she fought to regain control. She managed to stop, but Adam, not holding on for obvious reasons, tumbled off and rolled down a hill hidden by the trees in the ditch.

"Adam!" Shantra cried. The Zads began forcing them back in the direction of the village, surrounding them so that they couldn't escape – or help their friend. One of the whips hit Erik square in the back. He yelped, then slumped over, paralyzed. A few second later, Mel, Kara, and Rion were struck as well, leaving Seth and Shantra. Seth threw up a few shields around him while Shantra jumped onto his bike, giving them some time to think. The Zads kept on attacking; they would break through the defences any second now.

"Seth! Shantra!" Mel screamed. Two Zads were pulling her through a dark portal that'd popped out of nowhere. The others were already gone. "Find Adam! We'll be fine!" Then she too was dragged away. Seth looked back and forth between the portal and the hill. Who should he save? Adam or Mel? He didn't want anything to happen to Mel, but on the other hand, she could take care of herself, and she had Erik, Kara, and Rion with her. The answer was painfully obvious.

Spotting a small gap in his attackers' formation – a direct path to where Adam had fallen – Seth revved the engine and ploughed right through, zooming down the hill. He had to make a few quick turns to avoid crashing into the many trees, but made it to the bottom in one piece. He could hear the grunts and squeals of the Zads at the top, but couldn't see them. The dense lining of trees along the edge of the road hid them from view.

"Adam!" Shantra called, "Where are you?"

"He can't hear you," Seth reminded her, "He's probably still out cold." _'I hope. Otherwise... No. Adam's tough. Six years of living with Brackus, and six more with the Rougon; he has to be. But he __**was**__ unconscious, and weaker than I've ever seen him. What if...'_ His thoughts trailed off as he spotted a large patch of grey and dark green standing out against the dull browns of the forest floor. "Adam!" His friend was lying in a crumpled heap on the ground, head against a rock. Seth and Shantra ran over to him, fearing the worst. "He's still breathing. Thank RaDos his helmet's still on. Cautiously, Seth rolled Adam over, gasping at his friend's dire condition. The faceplate of his helmet was smashed; tiny fragments of it had embedded themselves in his face, some dangerously close to his eyes. His arms were scratched, cut and bruised, and his clothes were torn. Seth checked all four limbs to see if anything was broken; the right ankle seemed a bit tender. Taking a closer look, he noticed that something, perhaps a sharp stick or rock, had ripped through his armband and part of his forearm, leaving a nasty gash.

"Is he going to be okay?" Shantra asked. Seth looked up at her and saw that her eyes were streaming with tears. He turned back to Adam, his brow furrowed in grim determination.

"He'll be fine. I've known how to look after these kinds of injuries since I was a kid. Don't worry; I'll take care of him, alright?"

Shantra smiled a little, but her expression darkened quickly. She turned to stare up the hill. "I think those creatures are gone," she announced, "But I can feel it. The danger, it's getting close.

Seth pulled out his stones. "Where is it?"

"It's not **that** close, but it will be soon. I need to find my sisters. It's our job to keep Adam safe from it." She faced him. "Look after him until I get back, okay?" And with that, she ran off.

Considering Adam's condition, Seth decided it would be best to stay put for a while. He put a splint on Adam's ankle, for good measure, then turned his attention to the bad cut on his arm. As he pulled off the armband, Seth made a shocking discovery. An ugly red burn scar spiralled down around his arm from elbow to wrist. It looked as if something extremely hot had been wrapped around his arm a long time ago. Seth treated and bandaged the cut, as well as his other injuries, then pulled out his sleeping bag from the back of his stormer and laid Adam out on it. It was chilly out, and Seth was getting cold, but Adam needed it more.

* * *

**So, Adam's going through even more pain - at least this time he's unconcious, so he can't really feel it, anyway - and everyone knows about Shantra. I hope that doesn't put anyone off. I am not adamizgr8, so my idea of a good ending is different. Just so you know, I'm leaving Seth's dream out of the mix, just because I have no clue what to do with it. **

**And, quiz question!**

**Question: Who do you think is responsible for Adam's scar? **

**a) Adam himself (accident)**

**b) Brackus**

**or c) Angry Rougon hunters**

**Next chapter coming on November 28th! (Hopefully) **


	2. Startling Facts

**Alright, so here's chapter two. I'm a little disappointed by how little this is being viewed. I might be talking to nobody here! Only two registered people (tops) have read this, so I'm a little depressed. But anyway, the song from the last chapter was 'Haunted' by Evanescence. And the answer to the quiz question, well, just read and find out **

**Recap: Shantra cures Seth, Mel, Erik, Kara, and Rion of the hallucinations and introduces herself to them. They pack up and leave, but along the way, the Zads attack, force Adam, Seth, and Shantra off the road, and abduct the others. Shantra goes to find her sisters while Seth looks after Adam. While taking care of Adam's most recent injuries, (during the attack, Adam fell down a hill) he discovers that under that armband on his right arm, Adam has a really nasty burn scar. **

**Here's the song blurb: **_**"I've tries so hard to tell myself that you're gone. But though you're still with me, I've felt alone all along."**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Di-Gata, as I forgot to mention in the last chapter. Di-Gata belongs to ... well I'm not 100 percent sure who it belongs to. Aquinae, Deirdre, Shantra, and Neecona belong to adamizgr8, along with any other character I forgot to add. The only thing I own is this actual story and the Dark Figure's name. Just the name.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Startling Facts

Nighttime soon came, and Seth started a campfire, munching on some of his provisions. It was around midnight when Adam started muttering and twitching in his sleep. _'Another nightmare, no doubt,'_ Seth thought.

A minute later, Adam shot up, screaming: "No!" He pulled his legs to his chest and buried his face in his knees, breathing hard.

"Looks like that's the only way to wake you up," Seth commented. Adam jumped, obviously still shaken from the dream.

"Seth? What's going on?" Even his voice trembled.

"You collapsed in the Forsaken Woods last night." Seth tried to keep his voice calm, despite his concern. No use scaring Adam even more. "We took you back to the village. Then we found out that there was some sort of curse on the place. Almost drove us insane. We probably would've lost it if it hadn't been for an old friend of yours, Shantra."

"Shantra? Where is she now?"

"She could feel some sort of danger getting close. She left me to look after you and went to find her sisters. We left the village only ten minutes after she brought us back to our senses, but Zad and his buddies attacked us. You and I got away, but they took the others. I don't know where they are."

Adam tried to stand up, but cried out in pain and sat down as he put his weight on his ankle. Just then he came to notice his injuries, and gave Seth a questioning look.

"You took a bad tumble down that hill behind you." Seth paused, knowing he was about to step into personal territory. "So... How'd you get that scar?"

"Huh?" Adam looked down at his right arm almost instinctively and saw that the armband was gone, the burn mark exposed. "Oh, that." He sighed. "One day, when I was little, I kind of messed up in my casting training. Nearly blew up half the dojo. Brackus wasn't too happy about that, so..." He trailed off. He didn't need to finish that sentence.

An awkward silence filled the air. Adam went back to his recently acquired habit of staring into the campfire. Taking a closer look, Seth noticed that Adam was in horrible condition, but not just from the fall. His mysterious illness was **almost** gone – he hadn't been freezing cold when Seth had picked him up earlier – but it had left him pale and weary. Dark bags hung under his half-closed eyes, he drooped over in exhaustion, and every breath he took came in and out sounding wheezy. The relaxed, tough, and sometimes annoyingly cocky Defender that Seth was used to had been turned into a tired, brooding, silent wreck. Seth had though he'd enjoy the day Adam finally kept his mouth shut, but now he just wanted his old friend back. At least he knew how to deal with that one.

A slight rustle in the nearby dead bushes caught the attention of the two Defenders. Seth stood up, stones in hand, while Adam crouched on his good leg, ready to get out of the way. The disturbance turned out to be a rat, probably after their food. Seth, of course, had no intention of sharing their already limited supplies. "Get outta here!" he shouted irritably at the creature, "Shoo!" The rat, terrified, scampered off. Seth returned to his spot next to a tree.

"What's **your** problem?" Adam asked him, also sitting.

"What's my problem?" Seth snapped, "How about the fact that we're running all over the Realm, looking for some stupid Icons with a stupid Key that doesn't know where to point? Or that we're now completely separated from the rest of the team?"

Adam glared at him before turning back to the fire. "Yeah, those are our **only** problems right now. It doesn't matter that I've been going through a living hell every time I shut my eyes. Never mind that something – or someone – is out to get me. Don't give me that look; I'm seriously not trying to make this about me, but I don't think I can take much more of this. Of course, I wouldn't expect **you** to understand. You had one little bad dream, and then everything went back to normal. I mean, I don't know if this whole thing will **ever** end." He took a deep breath. There. He'd admitted it. Everything was far beyond his control, and he was scared. Somehow, it felt good to finally let it all out. Fatigue beat down on him, forcing him to lie back down. He kept his eyes open, though. He wanted to hear Seth's response, and closing his eyes would probably make him fall asleep.

"Sorry," Seth mumbled, "It's just that this is really hard on all of us. Especially the stuff that's been happening to you. We're not doing anything else until you get better. Now get some rest. You look like a zombie."

Adam chuckled softly before shutting his eyes, and instantly fell asleep.

* * *

Mel lay on the floor of a dark cave. Ropes cut into her arms and legs. Erik, Kara, and Rion were next to her, tied in the same fashion. Dozens of Zads stood around them, chattering in their own bizarre language.

"So, what do you think they want?" Erik whispered to Rion.

"How should I know?" Rion hissed back, "I can't understand what they're saying. I don't speak Zadese." The Zads suddenly screeched and knelt down with their long snouts pressed against the ground. The Defenders looked to the back of the cave and saw three hooded figures emerge from the shadows. They floated about a foot off the ground, dripping with some form of liquid. The creatures surrounded the four Defenders, eerily silent. Then one of them spoke.

"The Di-Gata Defenders. Welcome." Its voice chilled them to the bone.

"Who..." Mel stammered, "Who are you?"

This time, it was the one hovering over Rion's feet who spoke. "We are a superior breed locked away for centuries. We are the future of RaDos. We are the Ethos." A collective gasp came up from the four captives. Kara squirmed closer to her brother, who whimpered in terror, and Rion glared at the Ethos. Mel, however, closed her eyes in concentration.

"Yan, Sum, Dako, Infinis," she chanted, "Yan, Sum, Dako, Infinis!" Nothing. No big, bad shafts of light, no glowing aura, nothing, nada. It was as if her powers had abandoned her.

"Your Wizard powers will do you no good in here," one Ethos growled, "Only with centuries of training could you possibly overpower us. You Defenders cannot save yourselves." The Ethos drew closer and closer. Soon, there would only be two Defenders left in RaDos.

The Zads suddenly squealed again. The Ethos and the Defenders looked towards the cave entrance. A cloaked figure had appeared there, marching towards them at a brisk pace. Not saying a word, he raised his hand and suddenly, in a flash of – well, black, actually; the dim light of the torchlit cave just vanished for a second – Mel found herself lying on rough, rocky ground instead of the smooth cave floor. Erik, Kara, and Rion were still beside her. The figure now stood over them. He waved his hand, and the ropes binding them disintegrated into dust. Erik was the first to stand up. "Um... Thank you?" he said uncertainly.

"Do not thank me," the figure grumbled, "I only saved thee, Defenders, because I have a task for thee." Mel glared at him as she helped Kara and Rion to their feet.

"Fine. What do you want?" she asked.

"I have an enemy whose presence threatens my very existence. Thy task is to seek him out and destroy him." Erik opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off. "Fail me or defy me, and I wilt send thee back to the Ethos without hesitation."

Considering their options, the four Defenders grudgingly nodded.

* * *

The sun had risen hours ago, but Adam was still asleep. His temperature had pretty much returned to normal, and he wasn't as pale as before; he just needed rest. Seth had already packed everything away. As soon as Adam woke up, they would go find the others.

The forest was disturbingly quiet, especially for this time of day. The sooner they left, the better, but Adam showed no signs of stirring. Seth plopped down next to his stormer and stretched himself out. It was going to be a **long** wait.

* * *

Rion kept his eye on the Dark Figure, as they'd started calling him. He'd pointed them towards their target, and now followed the Defenders to make sure they completed their awful task. Erik, Kara, and Mel were uneasy, too. They kept shooting sideways glares at the Figure as they walked. No one trusted him.

Rion still couldn't believe what they were doing. They were the Di-Gata Defenders! Their duty was to protect the people of RaDos, and there they were on a mission to destroy one. It went against everything Rion believed in, but they had no choice.

They'd been walking for some time now when Kara noticed something. "Hey!" she cried, "This is the same place the Zads attacked us!" Sure enough, they'd reached the exact location of the ambush.

"The stormers!" Erik was the first to spot them, beat up and lying on the side of the road. "They're completely trashed!"

The Dark Figure pointed down the hill. "The one we seek is down there. He is asleep, but his companion is not. Go, and do what I hast commanded, before it is too late." The Defenders all shot him looks, but carefully edged their way down the hill. They hid behind the many trees, stopping in their tracks when they saw their target.

It was Seth and Adam. Adam was asleep in Seth's sleeping bag, while Seth sat by the stormers, apparently bored out of his mind. Erik, Rion, and Kara all looked to Mel, who shook her head. Even worse than betraying some innocent citizen of RaDos would be betraying their friends. The risk didn't matter at this point. Mel stood up from her hiding place behind a log. "Seth!" she called. Seth looked up as the others revealed themselves as well.

"Guys! You're okay!" he cried, running over to them, "How'd you get away from the Zads?"

"We'll talk about that later, Seth. We have to get Adam out of here right now!"

"There's some creepy guy in a hood who wants him dead!" Rion added, "And he just tried forcing **us** to do the job instead!"

"We'll hold him off as long as possible," Erik said, readying his gauntlet while the others pulled out their stones.

"Which might be only a couple seconds."

"Try heading for the Nexus; you might be safer there."

"Too late, Defenders." The Figure's sinister voice came from behind them. They turned to see him standing there – right next to where Adam still slept. "I haveth what I need. Simply allow me to exact my revenge, and I shalt allow thee to walk away unscathed when I hath finished."

Seth glared at the Figure, fist closing over his stones. "Revenge? Let me guess, Adam stole something of yours?"

"'Tis not thy companion who deserveth my true wrath, but his ancestor – Aquinae."

"What? Aquinae's his ancestor?"

"Indeed, she is. She dared to challenge me, and the aftermath of our battle robbed me of my destiny. I had achieved immortality, but as Aquinae's legacy continues, I groweth weaker until I am no more. I eliminated the other descendants of Aquinae over the centuries , yet the family still continued on. But now, this young Adam is the last one left. His demise shalt liberate me from my curse at last, and I shalt take back the Realm that I, the great and powerful Sazir, rightfully deserveth!"

"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Seth shouted, rushing forward with the others. Before any of them could cast, however, Adam and the Dark Figure vanished in a cloud of dark vapour.

* * *

Sazir felt a grim satisfaction as he carried Adam's limp form through the dark, twisting mountain passageways. Soon, he would have the Realm he was destined to reign over, just as soon as the boy's heart was stopped. As he'd done many times, he was taking his final victim to the same battlefield where he'd been cursed. It wasn't really necessary, but Sazir thought it should be done there, of all the places in RaDos. There was one difference this time: every one of those others had **not** been the final descendant of Aquinae, but Adam was. He could feel it; he was growing stronger with every step as the boy grew weaker. It was nearly done.

The words of Aquinae's curse still reverberated in his soul. "As long as my legacy lives on, thou doth lose thy gift of eternity, until justice is served!" For the first few years, Sazir had shut himself away, pondering on how to break the curse and rid himself of his condemnation. "...until justice is served!" What justice? That foolish half-Wizard girl did not understand the true meaning of such a word. Justice would be served when she was destroyed, along with all she held dear.

Then, when he'd heard of the birth of her first child – Deirdre – it'd all become very clear. "As long as my legacy lives on..." As long as Aquinae had a living descendant, Sazir would grow weaker and weaker until he was no more. To once again have his true power, he would simply have to destroy her – and her little daughter, of course.

However, fate had a way of constantly defying him. Little Deirdre was spirited away to safety before he had to finish her. By the time he'd finally found her, she was fully grown with a baby of her own, and just as before, the infant was rescued as he slew her mother. It kept happening that way throughout the centuries. Every time he'd thought he'd finally ended it, his victim had turned out to have another child. It was all because of Aquinae's dead sisters: Karmi, Neecona, and Shantra. The young Wizard had summoned their spirits to keep the family safe. If it hadn't been for the life essence Sazir had absorbed from everyone he'd killed, he probably would've been gone years ago. It was what kept him so strong. He'd come **so close** twelve years ago when Nykki had met her demise; her son, Adam, had been right there, only four years old at the time. Sazir hadn't even had to do the job of taking out his mother. Nykki's husband had been close with those dratted Defenders; they'd even named Adam as a future member. Because of that, the family had been deeply involved in the war against Lord Nazmul. The old Wizard's army commander, Brackus, had done the job of slaying Nykki himself. Unfortunately, he'd taken Adam with him. The boy had vanished off the face of the Realm, or so it seemed. Sazir had nearly given up on his search, until he'd received the news. Adam had been raised by Brackus – unsuccessfully, though – and eventually broke off from his 'father' to join the Rougon, but recently left them to finally become a Defender. He'd helped them destroy the legendary Megalith, and that was how Sazir had found him.

The tunnel opened up to reveal a large expanse in the middle of the canyon. One might compare it to the Place of Binding. An altar was set up in the middle, ornately carved with various sigils around the edges. This was where his victim would take his last breath. It was almost over.

* * *

**So, that was it. BIG revelation of Adam's past (this story is SO mine!) there, don't worry, there's a little bit left. No way I'm letting Sazir kill Adam. For the record, the whole 'Adam-is-Aquinae's-descendant-and-Shatra-and-her-sisters-are-the-ghosts-of-Aquinae's-sisters' thing is my idea, and has nothing to do with the original story. **

**Question: Where did we see Nykki before? **


	3. It All Comes to an End At Last

**Alright, this is the final chapter. This is where the story finally comes to an end. The song I used last chapter was Haunted by Evanescence.**

**Down at the bottom, I have a sneek peek at my next Di-Gata story, 'Still A Prisoner?', which is a sequel to another fic, 'Prisoner'.**

**_"Somehow now, you're everybody's fool."_ Hint hint: the song title is actually in that blurb. **

**DISCLAIMER: Di-Gata Defenders belongs to Greg Collinson, not me. The original story 'Shadow or Light?' belongs to ****adamizgr8****, not me. Clear? I own only the plot of this story, and Sazir's NAME. Nothing else about him. Consider this to be a fanfic of a fanfic. **

**The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. - Romans 16:20. **

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Chapter 3: It All Comes To An End At Last

Mel tapped her foot impatiently as Erik continued to tinker with the bikes. They only needed three of them up and running. The only problem was that they had no idea where the Dark Figure had taken Adam, or if they were even within reach. Everything the Defenders had just learned about their friend was still running through her mind.

'_It all explains so much. Adam told me he'd felt close with Aquinae and her daughter, as well as the other woman in the dream. If they were related, that would make so much sense. But who __**was**__ that third woman? He mentioned a man with a familiar voice who'd dragged him away after she was killed. What if that was one of Adam's memories, his __**true**__ memories? What if... what if that woman was his mother?'_

The way he'd mentioned that her bond with him felt much stronger than the others... the way she'd knelt and opened her arms to him... how quickly he'd accepted her embrace... it was certainly possible. And that man dragging him away, could that have been Brackus twelve years ago?

Mel rubbed her temples in annoyance. All these 'what ifs' were giving her a headache. Of course, her worry over Adam wasn't helping that much, either. She couldn't help but think that there was more to this puzzle.

"Done!" Erik announced, backing away from the third stormer, "We're all set to go."

"Except we have no idea of **where** to go," Mel added, "Where would that guy take Adam to break a centuries-old curse?"

The others thought for a moment. "I got it!" Rion cried, snapping his fingers, "If he's so obsessed with that curse, then he'd probably go to wherever this whole thing started!" They got it.

"The Drevac Stronghold!" Kara exclaimed.

"But it's more than a day's ride from here!" Erik complained, "We won't make it in time!"

"We will if we step on it," Seth announced, marching over to his stormer, "Adam's counting on us; we can't let him down." The others nodded and got onto their own bikes. Erik climbed onto the back of Seth's while Rion took his usual spot behind Kara, and the five sped off to rescue their friend.

Adam's head was throbbing like mad as he opened his eyes. _'Where am I?'_ he wondered, _'Where's Seth?'_ The last thing he remembered was Seth telling him to get to sleep. And something about a zombie. Looking around, he saw distant, rocky walls surrounding him on all sides. He was in some sort of canyon or pit. And whatever he was lying on; **not** Seth's sleeping bag. It was hard, smooth, and cold, very cold, just like the air around him. He was so tired. He felt like he was sick all over again. His arms and legs seemed as heavy as dakocite weights, and every breath he took drained a little more of his energy.

"Thou hast awakened," said a chilling voice off to his right, "Good. I enjoy seeing the fear in my victims' eyes when I finish them off." Slowly, and painfully, Adam turned his head towards the sound. A tall, imposing figure in a hooded cloak stood over him.

"Who... who are you?" Adam whispered hoarsely. Just that one sentence took a lot out of him.

"My name is Sazir. I hath brought thee here to this ancient battlefield to put an end to a long-suffered curse. A curse brought upon myself by thine own ancestor. Only once thy life hast ended, shall I reign free." His hands began to pulse with a strange black energy as he reached for his victim. Adam tried to edge away, but was too weak to move. Sazir drew closer, closer.

"No!" The shrill cry was followed by a shout of pain from Sazir as something hit him in the back. The dark energy dissipated, and Sazir turned to see his attacker. With the man blocking his view, Adam had no idea who'd come to his rescue, but the voice sounded **very** familliar. Was it Mel? No, her voice wasn't that high. Kara? Maybe.

"Foolish child!" Sazir raged, "Thou doth suffer for thy continuous interference in the past thousand years! All of thee who stand there!"

"First you've gotta catch us, ya big monkey!" Shantra! What was **she** doing here? As Sazir moved to the side a little, Adam caught a glimpse of his friend. Shantra's cheery, childish demeanour had vanished; her face was set with grim determination, her fists were clenched, and her entire body was sparking with golden energy. Another thing was that she wasn't alone; two older girls stood on either side of her. Adam recognized one of them as Neecona, a teenager with the same long, straight, black hair as he remembered. That meant that the other one, with sandy brown hair tied in a tight bun, was Karmi. They were all surrounded by the crackling golden energy, and glaring at Sazir.

"Leave him, Sazir!" Karmi ordered, "We will not allow you to harm the boy. His existence is the sole reason for that of RaDos itself as we know it!" What was she talking about? What did **his** fate have to do with **anything**? So many questions!

"Exactly," Sazir replied, "I am dissatisfied with the state of the Realm. RaDos doth kneel before a new ruler. **I** doth be that ruler. Thou art daft to attempt to defy that which is what must be!" With that, he swung his arm forward and shot a ball of dark energy at them. "If I doth destroy thee to attain my throne, then so be it!" Neecona swatted the ball away easily. After that, chaos erupted all around Adam. Bright flashes and loud booms surrounded him, only increasing his headache substantially. He couldn't move, he couldn't do anything to escape. He could barely stay awake. His eyelids were getting heavier. He was almost gone.

Adam stood facing a long line of people. There must've been a couple dozen men and women in total. They were all standing on some solid, yet invisible, surface surrounded by a bluish green aura. He took a closer look at the shadowy figure at the front. "Aquinae!" he gasped. Deirdre stood next to her. Both had their heads bowed and eyes closed, as if they were asleep on their feet, like everyone else in line. Adam walked down the line, eyeing the silent people standing side-by-side. Each one of them bore a distinct resemblance to whomever they stood between. Adam gasped again as the realization hit him. "It's Aquinae's legacy!" Each person was the child of the one before them. He stopped at the second-to-last in line. It was the other woman from the dream! Once again, the urge to be with her sprang up. He reached out to touch her, but something even more intriguing caught his eye. There, eyes shut, standing at the very end of the line, was ... himself?

Rion was the first to notice the huge fight off to their left. It was kind of hard to miss, actually. The lights and noises were a dead giveaway. _'What is going on over there?'_ Rion wondered.

Mel zoomed on ahead of them; surprisingly, her stormer didn't burst into flames from the extra effort. Seth, Erik, Kara, and Rion were right behind her. They drove through the twisting tunnels of a passageway supposedly leading to the action. Rion was sure they'd hit a dead end at any second, with their recent luck. Suddenly, the tunnel opened up in front of them. The Defenders gasped in shock as they saw what was happening. Shantra and two older girls, wielding immense amounts of a strange golden energy, were squaring off against Sazir. Both sides were evenly matched for now, but the girls were clearly tiring out, and fast. Rion spotted someone lying unconscious on an altar in the middle of the canyon battlefield. "Over there!" he cried, pointing, "It's Adam!"

"What?" Kara shouted over the din of the battle. Her eyes followed his finger to Adam's limp form. "Oh, no! Adam!"

"Okay, Erik, Kara and I will help Shantra and her friends," Seth declared, "Mel and Rion, you two get Adam to safety. Watch each other's backs!" At everyone's nods, Seth got off his stormer and ran towards the battle, Erik and Kara on his heels. Mel pulled Rion over to Adam by the arm.

"Come on!" she cried, "We need to get him out of here!" She slung one of his arms over her shoulder and began tugging. "Give me a hand!" Rion did the same, and they both carried Adam off to the side.

"TWISTING CHAOS!" Rion looked over to see Seth, in his Twisting Chaos form, reaching angrily towards Sazir with all four tentacles. Erik had his gauntlet aimed and ready, while Kara circled above on V-Moth. Shantra and the others had been put out if the fight by then; they lay unconscious on the edge of the battlefield.

Adam was in shock as he stared at himself. This dream him was completely identical, right down to the scar on his right arm. Dream Adam suddenly opened his eyes. Adam stepped back, startled, but his dream self simply smiled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small stone with a familiar symbol on it. "That's the symbol from the journal!" the real Adam cried, "And the painting, and ... and my ... nightmares." There was no doubt about it. It was the same rune that'd appeared on the huge ball of light, the orb he'd been so afraid of. What did all of this mean?

Suddenly, everything around him was swallowed up in a sea of cold, unyielding black. Only the stone remained with him, spilling forth its bright light. For some reason, Adam no longer felt any fear of the light. He knew what the symbol - no, sigil - was, even though he had no idea **how** he knew. It was Verai, the lost sigil of Truth. "So **that**'s why I was so scared: because I wasn't ready for the truth." The stone pulsed brighter and drifted towards him, and he immediately accepted it. The weight of it in the palm of his hand gave him a strange sense of strength and power. "But now I am."

Adam slowly opened his eyes. The sounds of a heated battle were all around him. He was still a little sore, but his previous exhaustion had left him. As his vision cleared, Mel's face came into focus, her eyes full of tears. "Adam!" she cried, "Rion, he's waking up!"

Adam pulled himself into a sitting position, almost falling over again as Mel gave him a huge hug. "Hey," he grunted, "Easy, okay?"

"You're alright!" Mel sobbed into his shoulder, "I was so scared we'd lost you, but you're alright!" Adam sadly pulled away. He had some unfinished business to take care of. As much as it pained him to say it, Mel would have to wait.

With the Verai Stone now clenched in his fist, Adam got up and hobbled over to where Sazir and Seth were fighting, ignoring the pain in his ankle. Erik, Kara, Karmi, Shantra, and Neecona were lying against the canyon walls, defeated. Seth was nearing that point as well. He was panting from exhaustion, getting slower and slower as he dodged Sazir's attacks. He wouldn't last much longer. "Sazir!" Adam shouted. Seth and Sazir turned at the sound of his voice, surprise on their faces. Mel and Rion shouted something to him, but he paid them no attention. "I'm the one you want! So come and get me!" The others gasped. They probably thought he'd finally lost it. Maybe he had. Sazir's glowing red eyes narrowed, but laughed, knocking Seth aside with a bolt of dark energy.

"Thou doth be a fool to challenge me. Methinks I shalt have great pleasure in thy destruction!" He threw a huge black energy bolt, the biggest yet, in his direction, but Adam knew what to do. Allowing the Verai Stone to levitate between his outstretched hands, he sent his own mass of white energy to intercept. Both streams met in the middle, crackling as they pushed against each other. Sazir's hood fell back to reveal a sunken, undead, withered face. He and Adam were locked in a battle of concentration, each trying to force his own power against the other. Sometimes it looked like Adam was winning, sometimes it was Sazir. It was anyone's fight right now.

"ARGENT RAZOR!" A shower of spikes came out of nowhere, aiming directly for Sazir. The evil man raised one hand and obliterated them in a second, but that second was all that Adam needed. His bolt of white energy surged forward rapidly until it struck his enemy in the chest. Sazir howled in agony and pure rage. The white light enveloped him, and in a flash, the villain was gone.

Mel couldn't believe her eyes. Adam had faced the Dark Figure - Sazir - and won. He'd displayed incredible power over the stone he'd pulled out of nowhere, completely destroying the evil Wizard. Now he dropped to his kness in exhaustion. "Whoa!" Kara cried, "Adam, that was amazing!"

"How'd you do that?" Erik asked. Mel walked up to Adam and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, giving her a weak smile.

"You guys okay?" he asked them, his voice just above a whisper. Shantra and her friends had gotten to their feet. All three nodded, smiling.

"We're fine," Shantra replied, "We would've been toast if the rest of you hadn't shown up, though."

"Hey, no problem," Seth answered back.

"By the way, these are my sisters, Karmi and Neecona."

Karmi extended her hand and shook with Seth. "Shantra told us all about you Defenders on the way here. I wasn't at all surprised when you arrived."

"So... Rion," Kara began, blushing a little, "That was some pretty good casting back there."

"Yeah," Seth added, "Nice work, Shortstone."

"Thanks," Rion said, "But don't call me that!"

"Well, we must go now," Neecona announced, pushing a thick lock of hair out of her face, "Thank you, Defenders, for everything. Sazir is gone now. Our sole duty was to protect our sister's descendants from him. Our job is done."

"We have to move on now," Karmi explained further.

"But..." Adam got to his feet. "Does that mean we'll never see each other again?" he asked Shantra.

The little girl gazed at the ground. Already she and her sisters were fading away. "Yes. I'll miss you, Adam." She held out her arms, and both friends collapsed into one last hug. "Promise you won't forget me?"

"How could I forget my best friend?" The two of them sadly pulled apart as Shantra, Neecona, and Karmi vanished completely. Mel put her arm around Adam as he rested his head on her shoulder.

One week later, the Defenders had since returned to Arboth. Adam's condition was improving; he mostly slept through the day, but definitely had more energy when he was awake, and he'd pretty much managed to heal his ankle completely. A couple more days, and he'd be back to his old self. The Verai Stone was useless now, but he kept it on a chain around his neck.

Meanwhile, Rion had also been improving. His casting training was going great. He'd even come close to beating Erik a couple times. After a few debates, the other Defenders agreed it was time for him to receive his Guardian.

Rion was ecstatic when Seth gave him the green stone with the white Nega-Yan henge emblazoned on it. "No way!" he cried, "This is so cool!"

"Come on, Rion. Let's see what he looks like!" Kara insisted.

Rion grinned. "ARVENGUS, ARISE!" Arvengus appeared before him, roaring loudly. Gasps of amazement came from the Defenders.

"Nice!" Adam commented from his spot in the training-room doorway. He stretched, having just woken up a couple minutes ago. "Morning, guys."

"It's three in the afternoon," Seth corrected him, "You were up at five in the morning, then fell asleep again for ten hours. I should know, since you woke **me** up."

"Sorry about that. Next time, I'll wake you up at four."

END

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**Now, I just have to remind you that I own practically nothing in this story, and I really have NO idea what Karmi and Neecona look like. I picture Neecona as a sort of goth teenager, and Karmi as an older ersion of Maia with regular blue eyes. **

**Okay, here's my question: **

**Question: How'd I do? (This is my first time continuong somebody else's work) **

**a) Great. **

**b) Horrible. **

**c) Okay, though there were some iffy spots. (This is how I think I did)**

**And now, the preview for 'Still a Prisoner?'. Seth and Adam's dads have been rescued from almost thirteen years of imprisonment by the enemy, but Adam's father Kolt is still having difficulties recovering mentally.**

_**At the dojo of the Di-Gata Defenders, it was mostly quiet, except for one man, who was tossing and turning violently in his sleep. His face was covered in permanent scars, clearly signs of torture. Eventually, he sat bolt upright, letting out a wrangled, bone-chilling scream.**_

_**The sound of running footsteps could be heard, and soon a teenaged boy burst in. He sat on the bed beside the man, and hugged him tightly. The man's panicked, quick breaths began to slow as he gradually calmed down.**_

_**One of the moons came out from behind the clouds, giving off enough light to reveal that the two of them bore a distinct family resemblance to each other, and that the boy also had several scars on his face, neck, and arms, though not nearly as many.**_

_**After a long period of silence, the boy finally spoke. "It's okay, Dad. It was just another dream; it's not real."**_


End file.
